Child&#39;s highchair insert



July 5, 1966 R. CHITWOOD 3,259,425

CHILD'S HIGHCHAIR INSERT Filed April 25, 1965 FIG. 3.

52 INVENTOR.

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5mm, mm-640,2 32W United States Patent 3,259,425 CHILDS HIGHCHAIR INSERT Ralph Chitwood, Rte. 1, Meridian, Idaho Filed Apr. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 450,283 3 Claims. (Cl. 29714S) This invention relates to a childs highchair insert which enables the use of normal size highchairs by infants.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a practical and efficiently usable device of the kind indicated, which enables an infant too small and too young for a normal size childs highchair to be supported and held safely and comfortably in an erect seated position in such a highchair.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a device of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of FIGURE 1, showing relationship of the device to a normal sized childs highchair, the latter being shown in phantom lines;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the device; and

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation, on a reduced scale, showing the device installed in a normal sized childs highchair.

Referring in detail to the drawing, there is shown a normal sized childs highchair having the usual relation to a seat 12, and an upstanding back and side arms 16, and a slideout tray 18.

An insert, in accordance with the invention is shown installed on the highchair seat 12 between the side arms, the back and the tray. The insert 20 is preferably molded of such as plastic or other suitable material.

The insert 20 comprises a bottom wall or seat portion 22 substantially narrower than the highchair seat 12,

so as to accommodate the smaller size of an infant, as

compared to that of an older child. The seat portion 22, as shown in FIGURE 4, is substantially rectangular, and has a free forward edge 24 which, when the insert 20 is installed in a highchair, reaches to the vicinity of the forward edge of the highchair seat 12.

The rear corners of the seat portion 22 are concavelyrounded. A centered rearwardly-tapered, convex-concave, upstanding protrusion 28 is provided in the seat portion 22, which extends to the forward edge 24 of the seat portion 22, and is equally spaced from the sides of the seat portion 22. The protrusion 28 serves to separate the legs of an infant, seated on the seat portion 22, and to prevent the infant from undesirably shifting forwardly, beyond full-seating engagement with the seat portion 22.

A continuous wall 29 perpendicular to the seat portion 22 extends upwardly from the side and rear deges of the seat portion, to which this wall is joined by concavoconvex portions 30. The connecting portion 30 serve to eliminate sharp corners and provide easily-cleaned areas. The continuous wall 29 is formed to define a fiat back wall 32, which is joined by concavo-convex portions 34 with the sidewalls 36.

The sidewalls 36 are of unequal heights throughout their lengths, and extend as far forward as the forward edge 24 of the seat portion 22 with which their forward perpendicular edges 38 are flush.

The sidewalls 36 have forward end portions 40, of reduced height, as compared with the back wall 32, which have horizontal upper edges 42, which are convexly- 3,259,425 Patented July 5, 1966 curved into the upper ends of the forward edges 34, as indicated at 44.

The forward portions 40 of the sidewalls 36 extend, as shown in FIGURE 3, for approximately half of the length of the sidewalls, and merge into rear wall portions 46. The rear sidewall portions 46 extend above the forward portions 40, of the sidewalls 36, to a level below and near the upper edge 48 of the back wall 32, whereat they merge, by means of concavo-convex portions 50, into fiat naturally outwardly-extending horizontal flanges 52.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the insert 20 is installed in a highchair by centering it relative to the side arms of the chair, with the back wall of the insert engaged with the back wall of the chair, and with the insert flanges engaged over the chair arms. The tray of the chair is then brought to its usual service position. In this arrangement, the tray serves to hold the infant erect in the insert, and to prevent his falling forward. At the same time, the sidewalls of the insert prevent the infant from falling or leaning over sidewise, and the flanges 52 serve as comfortable arm rests for the infant and prevent injurious contact of his arms with the chair arms.

What is claimed is:

I. In combination, a childs highchair having a seat, a back, and side arms rising from the seat, and a tray supported above and in front of the seat, an insert comprising a seat portion narrower than and resting upon said seat, a back wall and sidewalls secured to and rising from said seat portion, the insert sidewalls being spaced from said side arms, the rear portions of the insert sidewalls reaching upwardly substantially to the level of the chair side arms, said rear portions having rearwardly outwardly-extending flanges reaching outwardly over the chair side arms.

2. In combination, a childs highchair having a seat, a back, and side arms rising from the seat, and a tray supported above and in front of the seat, an insert comprising a seat portion narrower than and resting upon said seat, a back wall and sidewalls secured to and raising from said seat portion, the insert sidewalls having forward portions depressed in height relative to the rear portions of the insert sidewalls and positioned beneath said tray.

3. In combination, a childs highchair having a seat, a back, and side arms rising from the seat, and a tray supported above and in front of the seat, an insert comprising a seat portion narrower than .and resting upon said seat, a back wall and sidewalls secured to and rising from said seat portion, the insert sidewalls being spaced from said side arms, said insert seat portion being formed with a centered upward protrusion, said protrusion being convex-concave in cross-section, and tapered rearwardly from the forward edge of the seat portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 182,063 2/1958 Dean et a1. D158 1,253,044 1/1918 Kapelman 297-148 2,309,800 2/1943 Uliue 297l48 X 2,470,834 5/1949 Peltier 297149 2,955,296 10/1960 Zapolski 297250 X 3,132,895 5/1964 Pollington 297-250 X 3,148,914 9/1964 Steely 297- 118 X 3,155,426 11/1964 Rockwell 297136 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. I. T. MCCALL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A CHILD''S HIGHCHAIR HAVING A SEAT, A BACK, AND SIDE ARMS RISING FROM THE SEAT, AND A TRAY SUPPORTED ABOVE AND IN FRONT OF THE SEAT, AN INSERT COMPRISING A SEAT PORTION NARROWER THAN AND RESTING UPON SAID SEAT, A BACK WALL AND SIDEWALLS SECURED TO AND RISING FROM SAID SEAT PORTION, THE INSERT SIDEWALLS BEING SPACED FROM SAID SIDE ARMS, THE REAR PORTIONS OF THE INSERT SIDEWALLS REACHING UPWARDLY SUBSTANTIALLY T THE LEVEL OF THE CHAIR SIDE ARMS, SAID REAR PORTIONS HAVING REARWARDLY OUTWARDLY-EXTENDING FLANGES REACHING OUTWARDLY OVER THE CHAIR SIDE ARMS. 